kadācana

 "Kadācana" (कदाचन) in Sanskrit generally means 

“ever,” “at any time,” or “sometime,” and is used famously 

in contexts like the Bhagavad Gita to communicate 

negation with “never” when combined with “na.”

Definition and Etymology

Kadācana is a Sanskrit adverb derived from the combination 

of “kadā” (when) and “cana” (any, at all). Together, they convey 

the sense of “at any time” or “ever”

Wisdom Library+1

 . Examples 

in dictionaries:

• Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Kadācana = sometime 
• or other; when negated as na kadācana, it means never

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• Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Kadācana = some time or 
• other / at any time 

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Usage in Texts

A notable and illustrative use of kadācana occurs in Bhagavad Gita 2.47:
कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन॥
Transliteration: Karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana
Translation: “You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, 

but never to the fruits of your actions” 

Brahma+1

. Here, kadācana

indicates never—emphasizing that attachment to outcomes should 

not occur at any point.

Summary

• Kadācana (कदाचन) = “ever,” “at any time,” “sometime”
• Na kadācana (न कदाचन) = “never”
• Contextual meaning: Often appears in philosophical or scriptural 
• injunctions to stress the temporal aspect, for instance, in teachings 
• about detachment from results or impermanence 

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• Common texts: Used in Sanskrit scriptures like the Bhagavad 
• Gita to reinforce moral and ethical instructions.
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  2 Sources

In conclusion, kadācana is a versatile adverb in Sanskrit, primarily 

conveying “ever” or “at any time,” and in negated form, “never,” playing 

important roles in both linguistic and philosophical contexts.